Danish Film THE SQUARE Thinks Way Outside the Box Directed by Ruben Ostlund

THE SQUARE directed by Ruben Ostlund (b Sweden 1974) is an absurdist art & poignant social commentary that doesn't fit within the bounds of convention. It was awarded the Cannes-Palme d'Or Prize 2017.  The film is an English/Swedish & Danish speaking film that stars American actors Elizabeth Moss as an art reporter and Tery Notary (Planet of the Apes films) as a Neanderthal performance artists.  The male lead is the charismatic Christian (Danish actor Claes Bang) art director for a Danish contemporary art museum.  Ostlund's wickedly humorous exhibition of the absurdity & elitism of the contemporary art world is very biting.  But, it bites off more than it can chew by sludging through the drifts of social disregard for the omnipresent mendicants that remain invisible.  The esoteric & elite modern art world trips over itself in its pretense of cutting edge sophistication.   The gravitas of free speech with limitations becomes too heavy.  The pompous poke at Julian Schnabel made for a good joke.  Media attention at any cost earned a loner kroner.   Moss was underutilized and Notary's baboon act at a fancy art gala went overboard.  Of course, that was picture Ostlund was trying to paint, the inane clamor for contemporary art juxtaposed to the countless homeless in actual dire need.  Still, I will help you by steering you away from this overly pretentious (though not pointless) and ultimately unsatisfying waste of time.